Stuck!

[Fishbone]

It seems like my 72 F250 is stuck in 4 high. I can't even budge the shifter on the floor. I don't want to break anything by trying too hard to move the shifter.

Does anyone have any suggestions? How would I tell for sure that it is in 4H?

Thanks.

[MudinMan4x4]

put it in first gear and while moving very slow move the 4x4 shifter if that doesnt work get on some level ground and do it again also try maybe reverse gota do that with these old 4x4's sometimes no big deal

[willowbilly3]

If you can jack up a wheel to take the pressure off the drive line might do it too. I used to drive nothing but highboys for years and always had to do what muddinman said. Many times I would need to get all the way onto the pavement to take it out and then it would be stuck. I usually put it in reverse and jumped the clutch while putting pressure on the shifter. Some times that process would get pretty severe if I had driven it on hardpack for very far.
I think they were still using front ratios that were just a bit higher back then. Like if the rear was a 4.10 then the front was a 4.09. I knew one kid with a 66 chevy 4x4 that souldn't get his out of 4x and drove about 8 miles to town on the pavement. It twisted the front driveshaft off before he got home.

[dotcentral]

I remember reading somewhere to try backing up in a "S" pattern. On gravel or loose surface might help also. I never had one bindup that bad, of course I never had a straight axle 4x4, so that might make a difference.

[Fishbone]

You won't believe this! I was backing my truck out of the drive way today when I heard a loud pop. Then I had no steering! It looks like it sheared a bolt off right behind the driver side wheel where a bar connects to the wheel assembly. sorry, I don't know anything about how it works or what the parts are called. Is this the driveshaft you were talking about or like tie rod?

It's a good thing I wasn't going down the highway when I happened. I think the BIG MAN was looking after me today!

[Fishbone]

I went to a Ford Dealer and got this illistration of the front axle. The arrows are the bolts that I had broke when I lost my steering. Actually there was only one bolt holding it on! I am going to have to use a bolt extrator to remove the broken bolts from the wheel. What I don't understand is that the illustration shows only 2 bolts, but there are 4 holes. Do I only need to use 2 bolts or 4??

Thanks.

[DuckRyder]

Looks to me like it is showing studs and that the two inner ones are longer than the two outer.

If there are 4 holes, it would have 4 studs when I finished.

[willowbilly3]

If you jack it up and get the wheel off you can then take off the trunion cap which is the next part under the steering arm. Then there might be enough of the broken studs to get ahold of with vice grips. The trunion cap can be a bit stubborn and maybe even rusted in. Be patient and use lots of penentrant. and tapping. Once you get it moving a little you can get a small chisel started in the parting line of the two parts and tap in in a little at a time working from side to side. Just remember there is probably thin shims in between those two parts so try not to ruin them when prying. It may be hard to find new ones.

[4x4x4crewcab]

On my 4x4 both upper trunion positions or( bearing cap on one side and steering arm on the other) use 2 studs on the front 2 holes and 2 bolts on the rear 2 holes. On mine the studs are used for mounting a bracket that holds the front brake lines. At each of these brackets the rubber flex hose for the front brakes joins or couples to a small S shaped metal brake line which in turn feeds each wheel cylinder. I would image you have the same type of set-up??

[Fishbone]

I can't really tell, because all four of the bolts are boke off. The only bracket for the brake that I can see is at the frame where it comes through.

[4x4x4crewcab]

Dan this is how my f-250 looks in this area. Hope this helps

http://community.webshots.com/photo/111 ... 3856UYkblh

[4x4x4crewcab]

Dan if you have the Light 250 front (like f100) I have a few parts available see attached link
http://community.webshots.com/photo/111 ... 4967DuiFLO

[Fishbone]

thanks for the pics 4x4x4. But mine is more rounded like the diagram that I posted. Also, it doesn't have the bracket for the brake line. I'd take a picture, but I don't have a flash on my didital camera. I don't think it would turn out..

thanks anyway.

[4x4x4crewcab]

Dan
Here is another view. Maybe this will help there are two sizes to these front ends using the ball seals and trunions etc...both resemble the photo you posted. I have the large style on my truck. The parts I mentioned and have shown will fit the smaller style front axle. I will be happy to help you locate parts for your repair if needed. If so post your front axle tag I.D. number
http://community.webshots.com/photo/111 ... 4362PunGxv

[Fishbone]

yeah, that looks alot like what I have except my brake line goes directly to the wheel.

today I managed to get one of the four bolts removed. the others I guess are so rusted in that I kept breaking my drll bits and the easy out bit. I don't know really what else to do. I don't really want to try to drive it with just one bolt, so I am thinking about taking the whole wheel off and taking it into a shop.

Any suggestions? What kind of shop would be able to do this kind of work? How do I get the whole wheel assembly off?

Thanks.